Review by Mark B.
The Black Pacific bring punk rock into the technological age with the debut of their new video “Living With Ghosts,” giving the public a view of the world through the eyes of the System, whose only task seems to be the paranoid spying on the public to control their moves and ensure their own survival. In this case, they‘ve taken a special interest in the lyrical truths of Lindberg and Co.
With Closed Circuit TV type glitches, binary codes and emphasized lyrics of importance flashing across the screen in hacker codec, it is an extremely visually appealing video. It gives the viewer a glimpse of the world through the eyes of the prying eyes that constantly watch us, using the wonders of technology against the public. As for the message, I was able to make more sense out of the lyrical content than the video itself (it took me two good views to really understand the visual messages). Here’s what I gathered from the video: Big Brother is always watching, the over-consumption of goods (oil in particular), is leading to our own destruction at the hands of greed and dependency and it is unclear who is actually to blame- the System that attempts to steer our lives, or the public who constantly gets abused because they allow it to happen, making themselves the root of their own problems. So who really is the enemy?
The most important message from the band comes through the words “ghosts are in the machine,” which flashes across the screen just before the start of the song. If you understand the real meaning of the term (if not, by all means look it up) it serves as a reminder that although we are individuals, having our own minds and taking our own courses of action, our lives are very much within the view of the public no matter where we are or what we do. There is always someone or something watching, and in this case it’s the System in our nation, our Ghost in the machine, the enemy of the people that attempts to control the course of our lives through any means necessary.
All in all, a fantastic video by the Black Pacific. Jim Lindberg’s lyrics have never been more sharp and biting, and he’s found just the right people to turn his words into a startlingly striking, yet bleak reality.
The Black Pacific is coming to your town (possibly) soon! Here is a list of their current tour dates:
9/27/11-Atlantic City, NJ- House of Blues*
9/28/11-CliftonPark, NY-Northern Lights*
9/29/11-Toronto, ON- TheSoundAcademy**
9/30/11- Québec City , QC- Agora Port de Québec**
10/01/11-Montréal,QC-CEPSUM -Univ.ofMontreal**
10/02/11-London,ON-John Labatt Centre**
10/4/11-Thunderbay,ON-Thunder BayCommunity Auditorium**
10/06/11-Winnipeg,MB-MTS Centre**
10/07/11-Saskatoon,SK-Credit Union Centre**
10/08/11-Edmonton,AB-Rexall Place**.
10/09/11-Calgary, AB- Scotiabank Saddledome**
10/11/11-Victoria,BC-Save On Foods Memorial Centre**
10/12/11- Vancouver , BC- Pacific Coliseum**
*supporting Rise Against
**supporting Rise Against and Flogging Molly
Nevermind The Posers 